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Who Needs the Shield? WWE Has Crushed Group's Momentum Ahead of Survivor Series
November 7, 2017
The Shield reunion was nearly three years in the making.
Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose were riding high once again as The Hounds of Justice and many WWE fans were extremely happy to see them back together. The most dominant faction in WWE history was back and better than ever.
Fifteen minutes later, their momentum was crushed.
Of all the possible outcomes revolving around the newly reformed Shield, this was surely not on fans' radar. This was supposed to be the second coming of The Shield, the reunion tour that was supposed to lead to big things heading into WrestleMania 34 in 2018.
But instead, it all seems to be falling apart.
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Reigns' recent medical issues haven't helped matters any, yet that's where the troubles began. Due to a situation that was out of WWE's control, the top guy in the company was put on the shelf. When that happened, everything suddenly went south.
Rollins and Ambrose could have continued as a tag team, biding their time until Reigns returned. Kurt Angle's inclusion in the main event at TLC did not have to happen. Rollins and Ambrose could have sneak attacked each member of the team they were to face that night before the match began, leaving a two-on-two situation in the end.
In true Shield fashion, justice would have been served and the odds would have been evened up.
Of course, that's not what happened, and Angle did participate in the match. The team dynamic was different, the match was chaotic and Angle seemed to be waiting for something to happen. The fans enjoyed the match, which is ultimately the most important thing.
But it was just not the same without Reigns. Despite how much hate the fans throw his way, Reigns is an integral part of The Shield. Without him, it's not the same faction.
However, the most bizarre bit of booking happened on November 1 in Glasgow, Scotland. On that night, Triple H joined Rollins and Ambrose in a six-man tag match during a live WWE event. It was a sight that no one in attendance likely believed they would ever see.
It was also not what anyone on this side of the pond expected either.
Triple H, the man who first utilized The Shield as his own personal hitmen, is also the same man that attempted to destroy them. He seduced Rollins and lured him to The Authority, bringing about The Shield's implosion. He later tried to sway Reigns as well, but to no avail.
Reigns defeated The Game at WrestleMania 32 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins defeated The Game at WrestleMania 33 in an unsanctioned match. In both cases, Hunter was bested by guys he had sworn to tear apart.
Ambrose, who Hunter did defeat, has always been an anti-establishment Superstar. He's been compared to Roddy Piper, Brian Pillman and even Stone Cold Steve Austin. Ambrose has no reason to trust The Game, or anyone else even remotely associated with the McMahon family.
Considering that all three Shield members should be on the same page when it comes to opposing Triple H, why did the match in Scotland happen? If the Angle booking was off, this one was completely out of left field.
Just when it seemed as though things could not get worse, Rollins and Ambrose dropped the Raw Tag Team Championships to Sheamus and Cesaro on the November 6 edition of Monday Night Raw. The reunited team that had been on track was derailed, and it was a slow crash indeed.
Now not only does The Shield no longer have championship gold, none of the three men are booked as part of Team Angle for the Survivor Series. The Shield is a main event unit, but that's not how it's being used.
What is WWE's reasoning behind all of this? Is the company just going with the flow when it comes to The Hounds of Justice? When Reigns went down, did WWE Creative go down with him?
Common sense seems to have no place here and The Shield is suffering because of it. Fans want the group to be on top, but that's just not the case. Reigns' exit was unfortunate and unexpected, but nothing has been done to right the ship yet.
The Shield is falling apart for the second time.
The three men worked hard to build their reputation as a group in the beginning, and the WWE faithful loved them because of it. The respect for the team was unmatched by anyone else, and The Shield earned its place among the top stars of the company.
They did that by maintaining momentum, which has now been lost. Why should the fans care about The Shield when it appears that WWE no longer does?
As a unit, The Shield is still over so they technically should be able to rebound from anything. They're still getting a pop, and the fans still love them. Reigns will hopefully be back in due time, so The Shield can become a trio once again. But will it even make a difference?
Has WWE wasted too much time with silly booking and ridiculous matches? The Shield should still be red-lhot but they're now ice cold. Survivor Series should have been The Shield's night, but that does not appear to be happening now.
Fans may still believe in The Shield. But does WWE?
Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com